Hurt in an Uber or Lyft: whose insurance covers me?

Updated October 6, 2026 · General information, not professional advice

Hurt in an Uber or Lyft: whose insurance covers you depends on the app status

Whose insurance covers you after an Uber or Lyft crash depends on what the rideshare driver's app was doing at that moment. Both companies describe coverage in three periods:

• App off: only the driver's personal auto insurance applies.
• App on, waiting for a ride request: the company provides third-party liability coverage of at least $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident for injuries and $25,000 for property damage, when the driver's personal policy doesn't cover it.
• En route to a pickup or during a trip: at least $1,000,000 in third-party liability coverage. Lyft notes the amount can be lower in some states.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, PIP and medical payments coverage during trips vary by state.

If you were a passenger

As a rider, you were on an active trip, so the $1 million period applies.

• Your rideshare driver caused the crash: the rideshare company's liability policy is the main source of payment.
• Another driver caused it: that driver's liability insurance pays first. If it is too small or missing, the rideshare policy's uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may apply, where offered in your state.
• Fault is shared: claims may go against more than one policy.

In no-fault states, your own auto policy's PIP, or the rideshare's PIP where required, may pay your medical bills first regardless of fault.

To make a claim as a passenger, report the crash in the app, then expect contact from the rideshare company's insurer or claims administrator. Give basic facts, keep copies of everything, and don't sign a release until you know the full extent of your injuries. Your own health insurance can pay bills in the meantime, though it may seek repayment from your settlement.

If you were hit by an Uber or Lyft as a driver, pedestrian or cyclist

If a rideshare driver hit you, coverage depends on the app status above. If the driver was offline, you claim against the driver's personal insurance. If online and waiting, the lower contingent limits apply. If carrying a passenger or headed to a pickup, the $1 million policy applies. Ask the driver to show you their app status, take a screenshot or photo if possible, and note it in the police report.

If you are the rideshare driver

Drivers' own injuries are treated differently. Rideshare companies generally classify drivers as independent contractors, so workers' compensation usually does not apply. Uber says California, Massachusetts and Minnesota provide occupational accident coverage during trip periods, and Washington provides workers' compensation for those periods. Many personal auto policies exclude rideshare driving unless you add a rideshare endorsement, so check your policy.

Common problems with rideshare injury claims

• Disputes over app status. Whether the driver was offline, waiting, or on a trip decides which coverage applies, so get proof from the app and the police report.
• Several insurers pointing at each other. The driver's personal insurer, the rideshare insurer and another driver's insurer may each say someone else should pay first.
• Claims handled by a third-party administrator. Rideshare claims are often managed by an outside claims company, which can slow responses.
• Delayed injuries. As with any crash, get medical care promptly so the injury is documented.

What to do after a rideshare accident

1. Get medical care and call police so there is a report.
2. Screenshot your trip receipt and the driver's name and plate in the app.
3. Report the crash in the app.
4. Get the other driver's insurance and witness contacts, and take photos.
5. Tell your own insurer, especially in a no-fault state.
6. Keep all bills and records of missed work.

The app's terms of use may include an arbitration clause that affects how some disputes with the company are handled, so read it before signing anything. Rideshare claims can involve two or three insurers, and many people talk with an injury lawyer. injurylawyers.si can show injury law firms near your ZIP code. This is general information, not legal advice, and coverage details can change; confirm current terms with the company.